Sunday, October 19, 2003

By By Deborah Weisberg

November is highly anticipated by many steelheaders. Once crowds and fish have scattered, the aesthetic of the stream comes into play. "The total steelhead experience is so much more satisfying than high hook-up days and constant harvesting of fish," said John Nagy, a Brookline-based steelhead author and guide. "Early in the season, the streams are so crowded people are racing each other to spots, hogging spots, snagging fish, keeping more fish than they'll ever eat. There are confrontations, hard feelings. All of which leads to more posting of land.

"I'm not trying to be preachy, but it has to be said."

A call to appreciate Erie steelheading beyond catching fish is how Nagy begins and ends the third edition of his "Steelhead Guide: Fly Fishing Techniques and Strategies for Lake Erie Steelhead," which will be available in mid-November.

"The first two editions sold out. I had the option of getting the second edition reprinted, but decided there was enough material to do a new book," said Nagy, who has made guiding for steelhead a life's work.

	FLY RECIPE John Nagy's own Steelie Rock Worm is one of his Deadly Dozen II -- some of the hottest of the 147 flies published in his book. Here's the recipe for the Steelie Rock Worm. Designer: Guide John Nagy, Brookline. Hook: Dai Riki No. 135, size No. 16 -- No. 14. Body: Fluorescent chartreuse antron floss (spooled), ribbed with round gold tinsel (small or medium) and sealed with head cement. Head: Single strand of black angora yarn, wrapped to form head in front of 1/8- or 3/32-inch gold bead. Comments: This caddis larvae imitation works great as a trailer blow an egg pattern, particularly in cleaner flows

He has published his most comprehensive book on how to fish for the spectacular species in Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Ontario, with advice about equipment, techniques, strategies and flies. What's new are ideal tributary flow tables, profiles of streams -- when and how to fish them -- help with avoiding rookie mistakes, and lodging and dining for the Lake Erie region. There are expanded discussions on how to hook steelhead, the status of the fishery including wild steelhead, the early history of the Pennsylvania 3-C Trout Association which planted the first steelies 40 years ago, floating indicator fishing, fly color selection and equipment and tackle recommendations.

Nagy provides updates on fishery regulations, guide and tackle shops, Web sites, including weather sites, stocking lists including smolt plantings, stream and road maps, and stream access for the Lake Erie region.

"Some people don't realize that Michigan has as much Lake Erie shoreline as Pennsylvania. It has only one tributary -- the Huron -- but it's a big one. Like Ohio, they stock it with Little Manistees for late winter and early spring."

Pennsylvania is known for its fall and winter runs of steelhead. Ontario streams are closed in winter to protect natural reproduction, but are good in spring and fall. By late fall, the Cattaraugus becomes unfishable, freezes in winter and is too high in spring.

"To find the best water available in terms of flow and clarity you have to be willing to travel," Nagy sad."

While the book covers dead-drifting nymphs and egg patterns with or without indicator -- the mainstay on Erie streams, especially in Pennsylvania -- it is intended to help anglers guide themselves to new water and new techniques, such as swinging flies, an ideal approach on big rivers such as the Grand in Ohio, the Grand in Ontario and New York's Cattaraugus.

Swinging flies can be done even on Elk Creek after runoff when flow is good and water is warm enough (over 40 degrees) that fish aren't hugging the shale ledges, Nagy said. Swinging flies using either doubled-handed spey rods or single-handed rods are meant to cover a lot of water.

Nagy includes two-dozen spey fly patterns among the book's 147 flies, with recipes and comments from their designers. The book presents 135 new flies and a new deadly dozen.

"I wanted to showcase talent in the Lake Erie region which has never gotten the publicity it deserved," said Nagy, who collected patterns from guides and avid anglers. "There are local tiers doing some very innovative, creative work the public has never seen before. I could very easily have done a new book on steelhead flies alone."

Nagy provides patterns for eggs, nymphs, streamers, woolly buggers, leeches, wet flies, dry flies, tube flies and spey flies in a nine-page color insert.

"The spey fly patterns are real traditional, different than what we're used to in Pennsylvania," he said. "I want to show that fishing the Lake Erie region is not all egg patterns and nymphs, which is the stereotype, although I added some innovative egg patterns and nymphs."

New fly patterns are an important addition to the book. So is advice to the rookie steelheader contained in a chapter on the most common mistakes rookie anglers make, and how to avoid them. "It's not just rookies," Nagy said. "In my 15 years of experience, it's veteran anglers, too."

Failure to drift a fly naturally and consistently along the stream bottom is No. 1, and too much or too little split-shot is usually the reason, he said. "We call it being in the twilight zone. You're either above the fish or dragging on the bottom. It takes making adjustments, trial and error, learning by doing."

Holding the reel handle or fly line after hooking a steelhead is another big problem. Get the steelhead on the reel and set the drag light enough to prevent breaking the tippet.

"A real biggie is failing to get reports on streams ahead of time," Nagy said. "Know the runoff rates for each stream, get a local weather report and call tackle shops for conditions so you can get to the right stream. After a high-water episode, small streams run off in 12 hours or less. Medium streams run off in 24 to 48 hours. Large, anywhere from three to seven days.

"Doing your homework will save you a lot of running around and fishless days."

Of the 22 mistakes listed in the book, the last is perhaps the most important: Succumbing to the pressure to have lots of hook-ups and load the stringer more than enjoying the larger steelhead experience.

"Steelhead Guide: Fly Fishing Techniques and Strategies for Lake Erie Steelhead" (revised and expanded third edition, $29.95, Great Lakes Publishing) will be available Nov. 11 at tackle shops. Signed copies can be mail-ordered by calling Nagy at 412-531-5819 or by sending a check for $29.95 plus $4 shipping (Pennsylvania residents add $2.48 for sales tax) to Great Lakes Publishing, 606 Crysler St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15226.

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